Merry Christmas

I was planning Christmas as usual with Santa's annual stop on Christmas Eve, but my son had another idea after he heard that Santa visited our neighbors' house a day early so that all of the kids could be present. When Joey learned that Santa delivers on other nights, he asked if Santa could come on a night when Greg would be home. I called Santa right away and he assured me that changing nights would be no trouble. Now Joey and Greg are happy, and I am just so proud of my little guy. It's not Christmas without Daddy.

NSTA Conference

After a year's worth of planning, the regional conference for the National Science Teachers' Association has come and gone. I served on the local arrangements committee as the Field Trips Manager-my job? To plan field trips for the 3,000 science teachers who came to Cincinnati for this conference. The experience of attending a conference of this magnitude was incredibly refreshing; the idea that I helped to plan it-inconceivable! The most difficult part was being away from my family for the 4 days-even though the event was held in Cincinnati, my schedule proclaimed a need for close proximity to the venue, hence a hotel room was in order;-) The best part? Working on a project this scale is an experience I am not likely to have again. Meeting the great variety of people was a bonus!
Thanks to Meri for inviting me to participate, my friend and teaching partner Dee for her tremendous support, my family for surviving without me, the committee and volunteers for honoring their commitments and my new friends and acquaintances for making this such a rewarding experience.
Here I come New Orleans (National Conference)!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Greg is home so he, Joey and I will celebrate Thanksgiving tonight since pilot hubby will be flying on Turkey Day.
Right now I am thankful that Greg is cleaning my house!
GOAL! My first week on WW was a success-I lost 3.8 pounds:-) Although this is my fourth or fifth go-round with WW, I have never lost that much at one time!!! With all of that food in front of me this week, I just need to make good choices....

My Friends Rock!

Two posts in one day, crazy I know, but I just wanted to give a shout out to all my friends who support me in big and little ways on my big (often) and little (not so much) days!


Friendship isn't a big thing - it's a million little things. ~Author Unknown

Weight Watcher Shopping

I'm back from the grocery store after my first WW shopping trip! Even though I was hungry when I went to Kroger this evening, I tried to make really good food choices. Rule One: Shop the edges of the store. That's where the healthy stuff is. First stop: sushi. Maybe this time I won't gorge myself on the spring rolls and get sick of it:-) As I left the produce department after having chosen several fruits and veggies (I'm trying those steamie things Leah), I saw the Mexican aisle looming before me. Quickly I cut back to the seafood and picked up a frozen bag of shrimp. Shrimp, I love shrimp. Shrimp is the fruit of the sea. You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, sautee it. There's, um, shrimp kebabs, shrimp creole, shrimp gumbo, pan fried, deep fried, stir fried. There's pineapple shrimp and lemon shrimp, coconut shrimp, pepper shrimp, shrimp soup, shrimp stew, shrimp salad, shrimp and potatoes, shrimp burger, shrimp sandwich... I'm pretty sure though, that most of those things are not weight watcher friendly!
Rule Two: Don't go down the middle of the store. I really didn't need much from Kroger except fruits, veggies and milk. But there is a lot of ground to cover in between produce and dairy, especially at that Anderson Towne Center Kroger. On my way to the milk, I passed the bread aisle. Well, if I'm going to watch my points, I might as well have WW bread too. 1 point for 2 slices you know. Most bread is at least one point per slice. Unfortunately, the WW bread is not on an endcap so I had to venture a few feet into that aisle. Then I saw the crackers-I love saltines, especially with the chili that was waiting for me at home. Nope, I backed away from the crackers very slowly. Sadly, they did not leap into my cart, so I had to leave them behind.
I did make it out of Kroger, but only after purchasing pretzel crisps, hummus, WW yogurt, flavored water-gotta slow down on the wine intake-2 points per glass-sometimes it's just not worth it...wait a minute, who am I kidding?-in addition to the healthy veggies, fruit and chocolate. Chocolate, how did that get in there? Must have had a coupon!
Helpful Hint One: Go to the store with a full bladder. It definitely helps with the decision making!
Did I mention that I made it home with 15 points to spare? I have a daily bank of 23 points to spend on food. I had a quick snack when I got home from Kroger (duh-wine, hummus, pretzel chips and carrots), but I still have 10 points to use for dinner. Using those points wisely, yikes! What a dilemma! All that healthy food to eat...

Totally Unlike Me

to go without sharing my life online!
Joey and I finished the clothing portion of our Christmas shopping this morning, as in the nieces and nephew will all have new outfits under the tree. We're still waiting on specific requests from some of the kids, but we are completely finished with Sophie! Yeah Us! The Yeager family has not drawn names for the adult sibling gift-giving, but I am hoping to remedy that issue at Maria's birthday party.
Speaking of that cutie-patootie, Maria is one year old. It seems as though our world is full of babies right now-Maria and Marley, Harper, soon-to-be Ethan, etc. but that could just be because I am currently looking at a large amount of cloth diapers and ribbon that need to be transformed into burp cloths.
Weight Watchers has re-entered my life. The roll I am carrying around my middle is NOT one that would taste yummy with butter and jam (although the butter and jam sound delicious). According to the WW scales, I have only gained 3.4 pounds since June (hello, roll anyone?), but I am WAY over my goal weight and was in June before I added those additional pounds. It seems a little silly to me, to try and lose this weight over the holidays, but hopefully I will be more conscious of the food and drink entering my mouth and make good choices. I also have a WW partner who may guilt me into the weight loss. WW has worked for me before, why not now?

The Christmas tree farm on U.S. 50 will be opening the weekend after Thanksgiving. Come and get a tree!

Baby Name

Harper Josephine Wood joined her family at 4:01 p.m. on Halloween. She weighed 7 pounds 11 ounces and was 20 1/2 inches long. Congratulations Allen, Rachel, Bailey and Sam!

Good times and babies

Baby Wood was born on Halloween! Allen left a message announcing her arrival, but he didn't say her name!@#$ I still vote for Holly:)

Halloween was a good time for our cul-de-sac (as always)! The neighbors were out in full force with a few imports to the 'hood-my sister and her family, and my friend Dee and her family. If you've never trick-or-treated in the country like I did growing up, you probably wouldn't understand the novelty of hitting so many houses in such a short time.

The cousins had a great time last weekend at Granma's and Grandpa's house. They carved pumpkins, played some soccer and learned the legend of the Indian Rock. We took a walk through the back 40 and found the ever elusive huge chunk of granite that we always called the Indian Rock growing up because of its bowl shaped section where we think the early Americans ground corn. Mark must have known its location because it was covered with Ohio's version of kudzu. Mom has always wanted this rock moved to her house, but my brothers estimate its weight in the tonnage, so it isn't happening any time soon.

Soccer is officially over! Joey and the Sharks received second place trophies after another intense game that ended after a double overtime and shootout. It was a tough loss due to some bad calls by the young referee. Our coach has filed a complaint and offered to pay this ref double NOT to ref our games in the future. Joey had a great season and plans to play soccer in the spring. Mission accomplished-he loves soccer!

Marley Lanier

My brother Danny and sister-in-law Cindy had their second daughter today at 6:00 p.m. Weighing in at 7 lbs. 4 oz., little Marley joins big sister Sophie a week ahead of schedule. Ron and Cath are up to 7 grandkids now:)

Velociraptor

I could survive for 1 minute, 6 seconds chained to a bunk bed with a velociraptor

Created by Bunk Beds.net

Sharks Win!

After overtime and 3 shoot-outs, Joey's season did NOT end today! It was a battle of the Sharks with both team wearing navy and it was intense! Joey played offense during the second quarter, goalie during the third (no goals scored on him), and offense during the fourth. While he much prefers playing defense, he had a few good plays on offense and did great as the keeper. When the game went into overtime, he went in during the second 5-minute period on defense. The game was still tied at the end of overtime, so the Sharks went into the first of 3 shootouts. Since Joey was in the game during overtime he got to take the goal shots. Sadly, he didn't make any, but he handled it well. No tears for our boy which is definitely progress:)
Tomorrow afternoon, his team will play again and get their well-deserved trophies. Not bad for a team that went into tournaments 2-7!
The best part of all is that Joey has grown to enjoy the game and wants to play again next season!

Thanks Lorraine!

Time passes.
Life happens.
Distance separates.
Children grow up.
Jobs come and go.
Love waxes and wanes.
Men don't do what they're supposed to do.
Hearts break.
Parents die.
Colleagues forget favors.
Careers end.
BUT.........

Sisters are there, no matter how much time and how many miles are between you. A girl friend is never farther away than needing her can reach.
When you have to walk that lonesome valley and you have to walk it by yourself, the women in your life will be on the valley's rim, cheering you on, praying for you, pulling for you, intervening on your behalf, and waiting with open arms at the valley's end. Sometimes, they will even break the rules and walk beside you...Or come in and carry you out.

Two more games

Joey only has two more soccer games this season. We are making signs for the boys to run through today, but I am not the world's greatest artist. In fact, I may be the world's worst artist, so I found this image and am trying to replicate it with no amount of luck. I was hoping one of my neighbors (graphic designer type) would be home since my artist husband is not, but no such luck!
Greg starts a new line in a few days-this means at least 28 more days working for the airline. The word furlough has been floating around a lot, but we'll just face that if and when it happens. As it is, his last four days of this line are off days, and his first day of the new line is off, so we'll have five days of Greg at home! Yeah!
My dad is going for another stress test on Tuesday since he is still having chest pains. He had hoped to start the cardiac rehab, but there could be some damage inside the heart. We'll know more in a few days.

Our List

Joey and I have put together a list of things we want to do on the weekends. We have no idea when we will find the time since our weekends usually include soccer, church and PSR (Joey is making his first communion this year) as well as all of the weekly chores, but we have a list and that's a start.

1. Horseback riding-I've checked out Eastfork Stables, but if anyone knows of any other stables in the area, let me know.
2. Nature Trail-Cincinnati Nature Center has lots of opportunities.
3. Bike riding-I've been considering the purchase of my own bike, but worry that it will just be another dust collector (like my Wii and my balance ball). We might try Loveland Bike Rental and the Loveland Bike Trail. Greg wants to do this too, so we'll probably wait for him on this one.
4. Art Museum-This is another one Greg wants to do. I haven't been to the Cincinnati Art Museum in a while, but I think Joey might find something interesting there. We'll give it a try when Greg is home-he wants to go too.

This is our list and we're sticking to it.

Beautiful Sunday

The last thing I should be doing now is updating this blog, but for some reason I feel compelled. Maybe it's because I know there are sooooo many people who are anxiously awaiting the news to be read on this site-NOT-actually, that might be it. So I'll update it now and enjoy the beautiful weather in a few moments.
Perhaps you know that I had a slight addiction to Millsberry then to Webkinz. Luckily, I have overcome those addictions only to replace them with one to Facebook. I keep telling myself that at least it's an adult site...
Joey and I had dentist appointments this week-good time was had by all! I was not expecting, however, to hear that my 7 year old should see an orthodontist! Back in my day, kids did not get braces until their teens, but apparently there is preventive/proactive orthodontia to be practiced. Whatever, we're trying to decide between Dr. Thacker (near us and recommended by friend) or Dr. Rinaldi (recommended by friend and dentist and comes with a free consultation). Hmmm... Do you think they'll do a BOGO deal? I could really use some straightening myself.
Bangs or no bangs-let's vote. If you are a reader of this blog (and if you saw this, you are), vote on whether or not I should continue with the no bangs look.

Seriously!

I am SO ready to go back to school. We have been out of school for 4 days now due to Sunday's windstorm. Luckily, we have had electricity the entire time unlike some of my family and friends. Mom and Dad are on their way over now for showers again. For them, my sister and others living on the hill, having no electricity means having no running water-something to think about when Greg and I finally get around to building our house.
I spent yesterday avoiding school work which meant I had to find something else to occupy my time-I am bored (and no, I don't want to do housework either!) So I hooked up my iConvert slide scanner and scanned all of the slides that I had. Mom is bringing me more today so I can continue documenting our early family history. Joey liked pushing the button to capture the image, and I enjoyed having him guess who people in the photos were. We learned that Sophie's hair is very like mine was at that age-crazy blonde curls.

How I Spent My Windstorm Days

This motley group of assorted creatures are the soccer gang that played at my house on Monday and Tuesday since we didn't have school thanks to Ike. Missing are the two girls who refused to be photographed, so a big shout out to Cassidy and Chelsea.
Hotel Putnam still has vacancies, but is definitely getting a workout. We offer showers, meals, laundry services and clothing repairs. No reservations required:)
I wish school was in session tomorrow, but I have put off my lesson planning so maybe I'll catch up on that...

No School Today

It is so weird to have two days without school without seeing the white stuff on the ground. It is September for goodness sake! The winds that came screaming through southwest Ohio on Sunday did enough damage to close schools for two days so far, and according to Duke Energy, the wait for electricity could prolong our absence. Joey and I are very fortunate that we did not lose electricity, and that we have been able to open our house to our friends who are without power. Joey is still sleeping right now because he is so worn out from playing with all of our guests yesterday:)
We did lose our largest tree (a humongous locust), but with Jen's help I was able to get all of the debris cleared away. When Greg gets home, he has a formidable task waiting because the top half of the tree is perched precariously against another tree. Joey won't be allowed to play in the back yard until that danger zone is cleaned up.
Greg has been in Chicago which is having its own weather problems. Days of torrential rain and flooding have made the Windy City a miserable place to be for my sun-loving hubby. Luckily, he is on a three-day now and out of Chi-town.

In Memory: Charleen Spahr

Today we walked in memory of Charleen Spahr though we began this journey hoping to support her fight. Unfortunately, her battle was short, but the legacy she leaves behind in all of the students and parents whose lives she touched will last for generations.
We miss you Charleen!

Where Have I Been?

Tomorrow is the Race for the Cure in Mason. Our team, Spahr's Stars is over 120 people strong and in the top 20 of all teams for fundraising. I'm glad there are so many people supporting our team, we just all hate the reason for it. When Charleen learned she was sick in early August, everyone was so hopeful. I am still having a difficult time processing that she is no longer with us. Her funeral last Friday was one of the saddest demonstrations of love in which I have participated. The number of people whose lives she touched-family, friends, and students-is amazing. I still wish Joey had had the chance to be in her class-she was one of the reasons Joey goes to school with me. Charleen was passionate in her teaching and inspired her students to accomplish more than they dreamed. No educator has inspired me more in my own teaching. Tomorrow Spahr's Stars will walk in memory of Charleen Spahr instead of in support of her fight. It will be tough, but I think she would approve.

Friends

It's always great to spend time with friends, and when it's your coworkers, that's a lot of time. Rachel is pregnant and due in October, so we teachers ended our summer with a surprise shower for her. Jill even came in from Indy!
I am very lucky to work with such great people who I can call Friends:)

At the Dinosaur

Greg flew into Rochester last night and was lucky enough to have time to visit with Lois, Phil and Dennis (and Dennis's girlfriend Kacie). Lois is on the ball and already posted pictures on Kodak! It's a little bittersweet, being able to see Greg in photos, know that the photos are only hours old, and that I was not the one taking them. It looks like they had fun though!
We miss Greg:(

Summer Is Over

Joey is officially a second grader with 178 days of school left. Yes, he is already counting them down. He is happy to be back in school with his friends and has already helped his teacher identify some chatty boys. What? He forgot to include himself? I guess Mrs. B. will figure that one out on her own : ) The best part of his first day back? The class has a pet bunny named Eddie. Yep, it's all about the animals. Soon he will have convinced his teacher that she should really have pet day.

Race for the Cure

A much beloved teacher at CNE was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. Although we can't help her fight her battle, we at CNE Elementary would like to support her by helping to fund cancer research. If you are interested in joining our team on September 14 or would like to contribute to our fundraising efforts, please click here.

Dead Cow Walking

When I bought tickets for the "major raffle" at our parish festival, I did it thinking it would be a nice donation to the church. I certainly never win anything big and didn't expect to this time-especially not the $7000 or whatever the major prize was. What a surprise when Mom called to tell me that I did win something in the major raffle-a side of beef! I called my sister to ask what the heck I was supposed to do with a half of a steer. Her answer, "Duh, eat it/put it in a freezer." Okay, I know some people own deep freezers, but we have the one on our refrigerator and I'm pretty sure that will not hold 400 pounds of beef. I thought maybe I could ask the farmer to set the animal free, but no such luck-someone else won the other side of beef, so you can see how that might be awkward. Where's the beef now? My side of beef is on the hoof until at least Sept. 1 when Mr. Boehm (farmer/beef provider) is trying to make an appointment to have him "processed". We expect we'll meet our beef sometime in October.

Joey is now seven years old! He had a great party and received lots of nice gifts. He tried to be a good host, but his presents kept calling to him, "Play with me, put me together..." We were very lucky with the beautiful weather that the kids were able to play outside keeping the inside mess to a minimum:)
Alyson and Rachel spent the night with us after the party. They are actually still asleep right now (9:05) while Joey is building legos. He can't wait for them to wake up, but we agreed last night not to wake each other up this morning.
Greg made it home Saturday and luckily, was able to be here for Joey's party. Hopefully we have another day or two before he has to fly off to his next post. He is officially finished with his training and ready to take his place as an airline pilot.

Michele is moving to Vegas-how exciting and what a brilliant opportunity for her! Making such huge changes in life is so difficult, but she is hoping for an even better future!

This is our last free week until school starts:( Our schedule is full so we'll be pretty busy, but we plan to enjoy this last week of summer. Hopefully Greg will be around for some of it:)

Where were you in the 80s?

I was the sidekick-I can hear myself laughing a la Ed McMahon right now-"That's right, Johnny!" Clermont Northeastern High School is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year in style. On Friday night each decade was invited to a different local bar to meet other alumni. Saturday night is the dinner/dance at the county fairgrounds[i]. After much consideration (Do I, don't I, do I, nah, okay), I decided after much discussion with my friends[ii] to attend...alone. Even if Greg had been in town, he wouldn't have gone-Reunion #5 in 1994 decided that-so if I was going, it was stag. Leaping way outside my comfort zone because a friend[iii] made an offer I couldn't refuse (to watch Joey), I drove the 30 minutes to a local watering hole. Walking through the parking lot, I noticed a lack of empty spaces. Yikes, lots of people did show up.[iv] I did enter Greenie’s though, and headed for the first person I knew-Hey Jeni! Now I have seen Jennifer[v] around since her children attend the school in which I teach, but she was very kind and didn’t send me away when I approached her table. Her tablemate Monica even recognized me-nice, since I hadn’t seen her since 8^th grade. We had a nice, even playful, conversation until I felt able to mingle on my own. On my way to the bar (duh), I spotted my high school best friend! Shooweee![vi] I also ran into my longtime, growing up best friend[vii] and her brother. Since Jeni, Terra, Missy and I were (along with Christy) the sum total of our class-5 out of 203=2%, I’m not sure what I was worried about. Hopefully other classmates showed up later.

Although I don’t miss high school and would not willingly revisit those years, I am glad that I attended this reunion for several reasons.

1. License to stare until you identify someone-definitely cool.
2. Being able to stare and then use the excuse that it didn’t count as staring because I forgot my glasses-also cool.
3. Being identified as my sister by the crazy party hound-could work in my favor in the long run.
4. The long and the short of a high school reunion-long: people really don’t change-nice people stay nice; others don’t. Short: It only lasts until I leave.

[1] If you’re bored or don’t have tickets, try the St. Louis Festival down the street!

[1] Thanks Cindy and Terra!

[1] Thanks Jen!

[1] With over 1000 people graduating in the 80s from CNE, the percentage of attendees isn’t really that high, but it is a small place.

[1] Jeni is strictly her 80s moniker.

[1] Shout out to Terra!

[1] And one to Missy

Pilots and Missing Teeth

This is not a photo of our personal pilot Greg. No, it is a photo of the landscaping work that I' ve been working on this summer. As you can see, Joey is very proud of the landscaping:) Greg did get to come home for a visit on Tuesday, and we are hopeful that more short trips home are forthcoming!

Okay, Joey is still missing a big front tooth. Am I going to have to buy my child a tooth for his birthday? Do they make teeth that size for almost seven year olds? How long must we wait for that tooth to make its appearance?

I went to see Mamma Mia with some friends last night. I am still humming the theme song. Reminder-must put soundtrack in car. The movie was very cute; in fact, I would see it again. Amanda Seyfried, the actress who plays Sophie, is adorable. Meryl Streep really can sing, and Jill, you're right-Pierce should keep his shirt on (or do some manscaping). Meg, thanks for letting me sing along in your ear:)

Who Are These People?

I love online ordering! It's like Christmas when the UPS dude rings the doorbell! So far this summer, I've ordered the Wii and its accoutrements, but my latest purchase, the Brookstone iConvert Scanner, is really cool! Most of Mom and Dad’s early photos are on slides, so I bought the iConvert to scan the slides and convert them to jpeg images, which are much easier to use. I haven’t scanned many slides yet because it is a bit time consuming, but I am enjoying the process. This photo is of my parents and me sometime in 1971-the slide says September, but I know that I never got my film developed right away, so I’m not sure how accurate that date is. Based on my size, it’s probably pretty close. Anyway, I think we’re at Coney Island, because Kings Island did not open until 1972 (which also matches the ’71 date). I think that purple bear may still be in Grams’ attic.

Once I have finished converting my parents' slides, I would be happy to lend the converter to others!

By the by, Greg came home just for the day! With two scheduled days off, he decided that one day traveling and one day at home beats two days stuck in a stinky hotel room! We’re all happy about his decision J

Greg's First Flight

Greg could be in the air as we speak. His first flight was yesterday to Tucson from Phoenix. He returned to Phoenix this morning with flights planned to Colorado Springs and Long Beach, CA. I am so proud that he accomplished this very long term goal!

Off Again!

Greg leaves for Phoenix tomorrow morning to take a four-hour class. We thought he’d be right back home, but he received notice that his IOE (initial operating experience)[1] begins Friday in Phoenix and ends on Aug. 8! Just in time for Joey’s birthday:) The stinky part is that even though Greg does have a day or two off here and there, it’s not usually enough time for him to come home. He plans to try, but I’m looking at it as another 2 ½ weeks as a single parent:(

We are planning Joey’s birthday party for Aug. 10 hoping Greg will be in town for at least a couple of days before he’s off flying again. We are also trying to come up with a date to celebrate Greg’s “graduation” as a pilot combined with his 40^th birthday. It’s just a matter of finding out when he’ll actually be in town!

If you haven't read Such a Pretty Fat (or Why Pie is Not the Answer) or anything else by Jen Lancaster AND you're in the mood for a laugh-out-loud memoir, I would recommend the aforementioned book or its prequel Bitter is the New Black. They are hysterical and her asides have kept me in stitches.

Okay, I am on day 15 of Wii and want to know, really, why I am gaining weight instead of losing it. Actually, if I continue to gain weight when I have been more active for 15 days than I have for 15 weeks or 15 months, then I might just "lose it".

---

[1] Enough with the acronyms already!

Greg Passed!

It's official! Greg is now an airline pilot since he passed his check ride today! Since we had no plan B if this flying thing didn't work out, that is the best news EVER!
We will be celebrating this for a while!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

This is not a paid advertisement!

I love my Wii Fit! It's been nine days since I began using it, and though I haven't lost any weight yet, I have gained lots of energy. Unfortunately, that means I have spent lots of money on my landscaping because I have chosen gardening as an outlet for that extra get-up-and-go. The bright side is that my yard has never looked better OR had less dog mess to clean up: ) The chiclet in the picture is obviously not me because I hate that stupid tree pose-the only thing I hate so far. I rather enjoy being told I am a couch potato and asked if I have trouble walking (answer: sometimes) without tripping. The Wii Fit definitely appeals to my competitive nature and love of lists. It's like do an exercise-check!

Greg is back in Phoenix and will be there until early next week doing simulator training. As usual we miss him and are ready for him to be back, but he is doing what he needs to do to get this career up and flying.

Happy Fourth!

Usually we spend the 4th in Elkhart with Greg's dad, but Greg's pilot training has us in a holding pattern. He was supposed to leave for SIM training in Phoenix tomorrow, but that has been pushed back to July 11. He'll be there for approximately 10 days, and then hopefully he'll be flying. Amazingly enough, he hasn't flown an actual plane since December.
Since we are in Cincinnati for the holiday weekend, we booked our usual room at the Dorsey B&B. Fireworks are planned, but I"m not sure how that will work with the not-so-sunny skies (read raining like cats and dogs) we have. Maybe the lights will reflect infinitely off the tiny raindrops for an even more beautiful show.
So I joined Facebook-thanks Jill:) My Mississippi sister started this lovely thing called Facebook and invited me to view her profile-the only catch is that you have to join in order to see the profile. I am now addicted to Flair. Really, you can get lost for a long time looking at the many varieties of Flair and then sending it to friends. I have found some old friends on Facebook though, and it's easier to keep in touch with all Facebook friends, so really, thanks Jill! My Facebook link-click here.
Dee has invited me to Shelfari-an online reading club. Yet another thing to keep me at the computer! I'm already secretly addicted to some of the games on Webkinz-Hi, Tile Towers!-and must fight for computer time with Joey and sometimes even Greg!
Thankfully Joey finished baseball this week. He always enjoyed the games, but did not like the practices-not that they had many. Greg and I have already revised our stance on childhood activities. Previously we had agreed that whatever Joey wanted to try (Cub Scouts, baseball, music lessons, etc.), we would let him make the decision. Well, he decided that he doesn't want to play soccer or baseball anymore. Too bad for him. With childhood obesity on the rise (not that it's an issue yet), and kids spending more time inside and less outside, Joey will be playing sports whether he likes it or not. I'm even thinking that access to a car at 16 will be tied into his school/sports involvement. I really am not trying to live vicariously through my son-if I were he'd be in gymnastics and cheerleading:)-but I do want him to make informed choices, so we will continue to provide and encourage his involvement in extracurriculars. Does anyone know anyone who gives music lessons?

Catching up!

So Joey is playing for the Charleston Riverdogs
again this year. Typical 6 1/2 year old I guess. Hates practicing, but loves the games. Loves hitting, but hates getting out! I've already learned one parenting lesson: if you want access to a car when you're 16, you WILL be involved in sports.

Greg passed his oral exam last week. He is still in Phoenix doing some SIM training. Not really sure what that is, but it keeps him there until Thursday. We are in the home stretch now!

I just finished SOSI 1 on Friday. SOSI 2 begins tomorrow with 11 participants returning from last year. My facilitating partner and I have been so lucky in our classes that I am looking forward to this week of science.

C is for Cicada

I have a friend who freaks out about cicadas. Now I'm not going to say that I love the little buggers crawling all over me, and they are the noisiest critters around, but nothing makes me laugh harder than Dee's reaction to cicadas.
When you are scared -- I will rag on you about it every chance I get.
This one's for you Dee!

Alone in Cincinnati

Where to start? I guess I may as well begin with the biggest letting go I've experienced since becoming a mom. Joey left us on Sunday to spend the week at Papa Pete's house. Greg and I drove Joey to Bowling Green (approx. halfway) to meet Pete for the hand off. Joey was super excited about this trip-I'm not sure which thing he was most looking forward too (the doting grandparents, the dogs, the boating-it all sounds good), but he could not wait. I on the other hand-not so much. Pete and Lou had asked the last two summers if Joey could come to visit, but I hmmed and hawed and (politely, I hope) said, "No." Prior to this year, none of us had spent more than a night or two away from each other. It was becoming increasingly more difficult to say no this year, especially when a cute six year old was so eager to spend time with his grandpa. The timing was right though-I am doing a class with Miami and Greg needed to return to Phoenix, so Joey is now spending a week in Elkhart. According to our phone conversations, they are having a swimmingly good time boating, tubing, shopping, building with Legos, biking, and fishing. Sounds like the perfect life for a little boy and his grandpa. They are even managing to do a little schoolwork and reading as well which makes me even happier. If Joey's happy, I'm happy:)

Greg comes home tomorrow which also makes me happy! Finishing another trip on the journey towards a career in aviation gets us a little bit closer to Greg's goal. I am so proud of the effort that Greg has put into flying. It looks like he'll be in and out for the rest of the month and part of July, but at least we are seeing the finish line.

While the boys are away, I have found plenty to occupy myself. On Monday, I came home from class and read a book. That's all, just read. Tuesday meant dinner with the team after class. Wendy shared happy news about her husband's new job with Dee, Francie, Rachel and me. Bob's new district is getting one terrific leader. Tonight I met Julie for dinner after another late night in Blue Ash. Locust Corner is really lucky to have such a terrific person supporting and leading them.
SOSI, the class I'm facilitating for the next 2 1/2 weeks, is full of awesome people. This is the second year that Dee and I have been lucky enough to team up, and we get to work with Tracy Lindner from Ripley-she is awesome. Both of them have been amazingly supportive as I've been forced to leave my comfort zone and speak in front of adults. Believe it or not, I do not enjoy presenting material or facilitating discussions with my peers. Stick me with a horde of 10 year olds and I'm a happy, comfortable clam, but this professional development stuff makes me higher strung than usual and turns me into a big baby.

Speaking of babies, Dan and Cindy are expecting in early November. I also have another friend who is in the family way, and I am very excited about her expectations! Baby Jay turned a year old on Sunday and is still one of the cutest, happiest little guys ever! Little Maria is not so little anymore, but she is certainly keeping up with her older cousin Jay in both happiness and cuteness. They almost make me want another of my own...BUT not quite:)
Hope to see you sooner!

Happy Post Memorial Day

Many of you probably spent Memorial Day with your families. Joey and I did as well, but we were missing the third most important component of our family-Greg, who was in Tampa. Joey and I are not looking forward to Greg's next phase of flight training! We're not sure yet when he'll be called back, but I for one am already dreading it.

Joey and his cousins are crazy! Grams had her pool completely redone. It is really nice now, but Joey and the girls jumped right in yesterday. The almost shook themselves dry with the amount of shivering going on.

School is almost out! 3 more days!

slacker

To those of you who actually read this, I am so, so sorry!
What's up?
Greg is home, for who knows how long. Oops, actually he is not home tonight-Elkhart, got to ride in the jump seat- and will not be home Sunday either-Tampa, gets to ride in the jump seat. I'm not sure, but I'm thinking Greg's girlfriend's name might be Jump Seat...
Joey's teeth have not yet come in-I like to call him Fang. The school nurse thinks he may need some large teeth (think Timmy Turner) to fill the space voided by his top front baby teeth...
Baseball season is in full swing...
Anyone interested in seeing Joey play baseball, contact me at susu575@fuse.net and we'll talk. You can also call me, but you should have that number so I won't publish it here.
The bird who build its nest on our deck light is out of luck. When Greg came home, one of his first actions was to remove the nest. Luckily, he did check for occupants first, but apparently my ongoing bird battle scented the area too much for actual egg-laying. I guess I should be happy that I won this war, but oddly enough, I felt let down.
I hate diets. That said, I am on one again. Not fitting into the clothes one bought just last spring gives one a sense of money out the window. This one is NOT HAPPY about money out the window, so I am back at Weight Watcher's. I know that the life style works, but even Florine didn't stick with it forever, so what am I doing? Trying, that's what! Having a friend who nudges-okay, shoves-one back into the weight loss trenches definitely helps, so I'm good in that department. We'll see...
Ask me later about the Sisterhood of the INC dress. Two sisters in and the dress is on its way to Indy!
I got to be MOM today instead of TEACHER! The first grade went on a trip to the zoo, so I chaperoned. 3 high energy boys + 1 read everything boy = 2 tired moms. Joey loved the zoo and I love Joey, so it was a GREAT day, but we did have one traumatic moment. As we visited the reptile house, the zookeepers fed the cornsnake. Do YOU know what a cornsnake eats? Do YOU know how a 6 year old will react when confronted with mouse mortality? My 6 year old took himself away for a few minutes to compose himself. He was "normal" until I picked him up from school, at which time he was full of animal rights questions. Luckily, PETA was nowhere around and we discussed how wild animals versus zoo animals get their food. While Joey seemed to understand, he was not happy with those cornsnakes. No pet snakes in our future at this time!

Dumb Bird

I was noticing a lot of weedy, straw-like material being tracked into the kitchen. When I went outside to trace the source, I saw the plant matter hanging from our security light next to the deck door. We are used to birds building nests under our deck, but on top of the light was new and MESSY. Since I was not able to reach the nest or see in it, I took a picture by holding the camera above the nest to make sure it was not in use. I pulled the muddy, empty nest down and Joey carefully placed it in a tree far away from the deck.
The next day...the dumb bird had a new nest built in the same place. Took another picture, pulled the nest down and kicked it off the porch.
The next day...stupid bird had another muddy mess on our light. Ripped the nest down and threw it.
The next day...bird wins.
I hope it's happy.

The Tooth Fairy is Going Broke!

Joey is raking in the $$$!
It's hard to believe that I haven't posted in so long. Not that I'm any busier than usual, but...
Greg is back in Arizona (and has been for a week). He is now training to fly a CRJ, which is a bigger plane (not that I can tell the difference). He passed his first written exam on this jet on Friday, so that's one more step in the right direction. We miss him immensely, but are holding our own as well as we can.
Trying to run this household as a single parent really makes me appreciate Greg. I'm okay with taking care of Joey and doing my regular chores, but picking up Greg's chores (the ones that we swapped and I REALLY hate-bathrooms, vacuuming, etc.) and the things that Greg normally does with Joey (Cub Scouts, baseball) is overwhelming!
Until I find a moment-or put off cleaning toilets again-ciao!

Go Xavier! Greg's Home!

Yeah, Xavier! To the Elite Eight! Here are the Musketeers' biggest fans!

After watching the Xavier-West Virginia game, Joey and I went home to take 40 winks before driving to the airport to pick up Greg. Yes, he's home! Just for a week-he leaves again next Sunday, but his airline has decided that he and the other 18 pilots in his class will have to start over and learn a new plane because they are phasing out the ERJ. I thought phasing out was a slow process, but apparently not in airline speak. Anyway, Joey and I are very excited that Greg is home, if only for the week. He plans to study for the new plane and work on getting this house ready to sell. The bad news? Yeah, when he leaves Sunday he'll be gone for four weeks:(

Spring Break Fun

So far I have spent most of my time packing and cleaning with a little school work thrown in. Joey has helped a little, but on Tuesday he and Cassidy spent the day together. They played slot car racing, went doodling, and played at the park. It was very windy, but we all needed the stink blown off!
On Wednesday, we took our daily trip to the storage facility, had lunch with Mom and Dad, and then Joey was invited for a playdate with Garrett. When I dropped Joey off at Garrett's house, Joey didn't even say goodbye-he was that excited to play with the boys. Joey was still wound up when Garrett's mom brought him home at 10:00 that evening, but he went right to sleep!
Thursday was a big day for us. Grandma Carole came down from Dayton to play with Joey and help with "staging" the house. Lunch at Uno's-yummy!

Spring Break Under Way

We are now into the third week of Greg's absence, but nowhere was it noticed more than at the family functions Joey and I attended for Easter. The annual Good Friday Feast was a lot of fun for the attendees-lots of fish and decent weather. Rachel was really excited about the live lobster her daddy got for her. I wonder if she realized its legs and tail were on someone's plate? As always, the cousins enjoyed themselves and even included the other kids in their antics. The egg hunt was hilarious as kids picked up the eggs decorated like bugs and threw them back on the ground because they were bugs. The camouflage eggs were completely missed because, yes, they were camouflaged! For more pictures, click here.
Check out Maria-this baby really knows how to use her thumb!
Easter Sunday was spent in Dayton at the Schulte's house and included both the Rachford/Putnams and the Schultes with special guests this year, the Hortons. I really missed Greg at this gathering because when an awkward silence descends we can always count on him to destroy it. We also have our unspoken communication code (rolling eyes included) that keeps us in touch. Joey had a great time playing with Ed's great niece and nephew Bailey and Gage, but he missed his cousin Quentin.

Today our neighbor Cassidy is spending the day with us. While they play, I hope to continue whittling away at my to-do list for the week. Guess I can check blogging off the list!

Before He Went Away

Before Greg left, he and I each claimed that it would be hardest on himself/myself when he left. Unfortunately, he wins. Even though our friend Monica has been very kind to Greg while he is in her part of the U.S., I am surrounded by our family and friends every day AND I have Joe.

The kids had a great time at the Easter egg hunt at St. Philomena on Palm Sunday. Jay even got into the act and found a couple of eggs.

Happy Easter!

Surviving as a Single Mom

Joey and I have both survived our first week without Greg. Knowing that Greg will be back in a few weeks definitely makes this easier to take, especially since we talk to him every day. Joey is also really enjoying and looking forward to the letters Greg has been sending each day. Yesterday Joey emailed his dad since Greg just found a place that was wired.

This is a picture of the ERJ, the jet for which Greg is training.

Snow Photos

Joey finally lost his tooth that he had knocked loose a few weeks ago. Someone was not paying attention when his mom suddenly stopped the cart and ran into the handle on the cart. Both top front teeth were knocked loose, but one of them seemed to reset itself. Joey had many volunteers who wanted to help him pull his tooth, but when the time finally came, no one was around. He was playing at his friend Cassidy's house when the blood started flowing and Leah (Cassidy's mom) suggested that Joey might want to go home. Joey ended up pulling it out himself and did well with the tooth fairy. Since school pictures were two days later, Joey spent some time practicing the face he would make:)

Ohio weather-you never know what you're going to get! Joey and Sam had a great time playing in the snow yesterday. Sam must be part snowbunny! Joey shoveled a little bit of snow-he doesn't quite have the hang of it, but the good intentions are there. As I shoveled, the wine chilled...

Fly, Fly Away Home

Yes, it's true. Greg starts ground school in Tempe, AZ March 10 for 7-10 weeks. We are thrilled that Greg's dream is coming true, but maybe not so much about his extended absence. I am having trouble wrapping my mind around it being just Joey and me. I'm trying not to worry too much about Joey-he seems to understand, but he is only 6. Luckily, we have a great support system nearby. I am already looking forward to Greg's first visit home in April.
Does anyone want to buy a house?:)
Greg has been working diligently to get our house ready for sale. Ed finished the plans for our dream home, but we are not beginning the new house until our current one belongs to someone else. The timing may make this more challenging (see above), but I really believe that everything works out for the best.
Funny or not so funny? After taking three tests at home and one at the doctor's office, I am sure that Joey will not have a sibling in the next nine months. Yes, my doctor laughed when I said that I took three different tests (he assured me that they are accurate), but he still let me do one at the office to ease my mind.
Me during test one: Holy @#$%, I hope this is negative.
Me during test two: Okay God, if this is what you have in mind, I'll deal.
Me during test three: I still like the name Alex Elizabeth for a girl, but we're going to have to think about a boy name.
Me during test four: Totally disappointed.
Just when I thought I had myself figured out about wanting a baby or not...
Things really do work out for the best.

Sweeney What?

Went to see Sweeney Todd last night. Talk about bizarre shows. I wasn't feeling great and couldn't stop coughing, so I left after Act I as did Mom and Dad. Since I was looking forward to the play, I was disappointed that it wasn't what I hoped it would be. Oh well, they can't all be winners.
Joey spent the night last night with Aunt Cindy. In addition to the play, I had conferences AND Greg is out of town. Joey was fine with an over-nighter; it's his mother who has trouble with the concept. Especially since I am snowed in right now and can't go get him! My four wheel drive will be put to work soon-I want my kid!

Loved the Spiderwick movie. I wouldn't recommend it for kids under 10-it's pretty scary with the goblins attacking and Mulgarath changing forms-but it is very engaging. You also don't need to have read the books either, since the film version was only loosely related. Joey was frightened at times, but he was a real trouper and dealt very well with the scary bits. Usually I don't worry about PG movies, but maybe this one was rated incorrectly...

Building Our Dream Home

I'm finally in recovery mode from whatever the bug is that is going around. Lucky me, it's tax time! Greg and I are also trying to get things in gear for getting our house on the market and building a new one. Greg's uncle is designing the house. He has put a lot of work into planning our dream house. It's really amazing to see all of our must-haves put onto paper. Ed is doing a phenomenal job!
In the meantime, I'm working on the financial aspects. Filling out paperwork is not much fun-especially when it's loan applications. Margaret at the bank and my dad have been very helpful for which I am grateful.
This afternoon Joey and I plan to join some of my students at the movies. In class we've been reading The Spiderwick Chronicles which was made into a movie that came out yesterday. Joey is a little nervous about seeing a movie with the bigger kids, but since some of his classmates have siblings in my class, I'm sure there will be a few first graders around too.
I can't wait to see Sweeney Todd at the Aronoff next week. As part of my birthday present, my parents got tickets for that show as well as Wicked. If you've been reading this, you know that I LOVED Wicked, and I'm sure that ST can't compare in the sparkly department, but perhaps it will be my favorite macabre play. Who cares? It will be great anyway!

Catching Up

A friend recently reminded me that I have not posted recently which is very unlike me. I have been sick for the past week, so haven't had anything to share. Luckily, Joey and Greg have stayed well so far.
In other family news, Grams had a birthday on February 4. Grandmother fell and cut her leg, but it is not healing quickly at all. Grandma Janet had back surgery and seems to be recovering nicely which is a relief for everyone.
How about all that happy news?!?

Not Everyone Can Travel by Bubble

Wicked is AWESOME! I was lucky enough to get a ticket to see Wicked from my parents for my birthday-I am so glad! After reading Gregory Maguire's book, I wasn't sure how I'd like it-his stuff is tough to read. I borrowed the musical cd and really liked the tunes, especially "Popular", but the cd still doesn't give you enough information about how the book has been transformed into a musical. While the plot was changed a bit (a lot) and there is a happy ending, I liked the musical much better than the book. Elphaba had an amazing voice and Glinda really hammed it up. Glinda's character is my favorite in the play just because it seems like such a joyful, fun part. I have really liked the shows I've seen in the past (Phantom of the Opera, Mamma Mia, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Chicago, Peter Pan, Lion King). With the exception of Cats, each is my favorite for a different reason. In Wicked, I loved the music, the story of friendship, but most of all, the glitter, sparkles, and Glinda's gowns! Thanks Mom and Dad!